PCSA Options Booklet 2024 - 2026

SPANISH
Type of qualification: GCSE
Exam Board: AQA
Central Leader: Mrs C Parsons
Head of Subject: Miss L Coleman
What will I study?
The current AQA GCSE course develops to a higher level the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading
and writing. Students work for the main part in the foreign language, developing both their fluency and
their knowledge of vocabulary and language structure, including translation skills. They deal with up-todate
spoken and written materials, using video and the internet, as well as literary texts.
To do well you need to:
Memorise a range of key words, phrases and
structures.
Develop the ability to listen and respond to a range
of questions in Spanish.
Read and write increasingly long paragraphs on a
variety of topics.
Practice translating longer passages from English to
Spanish and vice versa.
Be resilient and prepared to take risks and
learn from your mistakes.
Keep an open mind and a positive attitude
about the subject.
Attend P0 / P6 sessions regularly in order
to practise speaking.
Progression Pathways
The obvious progression path after GCSE is A levels, then a degree in the language or translation course,
other courses would be relevant, such as Business, Travel and Tourism or even Law.
How will I be assessed?
Listening
(25%)
Speaking
(25%)
Reading
(25%)
Writing
(25%)
Students will listen and respond to different types of spoken
language, with questions in English to be answered in English or
non-verbally.
Students will communicate and interact effectively in speech for a
variety of purposes. The assessment will be up to 9 minutes at
Foundation Tier or 12 minutes at Higher Tier, recorded in school by
a teacher-examiner and marked by the exam board.
Students will read and respond to different types of written
language. Questions will be in English, to be answered in English
or non-verbally. This includes a translation task from Spanish to
English.
Students will be required to show they can communicate
effectively in writing for a variety of purposes. Students will be
asked to answer up to 4 questions, from writing simple sentences
to structured or open-ended writing tasks. This includes a
translation task from English to Spanish at both Foundation and
Higher tier.
Careers
There are many careers
in which having a
degree in a language will
be essential. These
include the obvious:
Interpreter, translator,
secondary teacher, but
also teacher of English
as a foreign language
abroad, broadcast
journalist and tourism.
These are not
restrictive however and
many jobs will welcome
a knowledge of another
language as many
companies trade or
work with other
countries.